24-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Concerns about the rise of youth radicalism in Singapore have been highlighted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) in its annual terrorism threat assessment report, released on Monday (Jul 24). The report emphasizes the role of social media and online gaming platforms as drivers of the terrorism threat, with self-radicalization being a significant concern.
The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high, primarily due to self-radicalization online, as like-minded individuals connect across borders through social media and gaming platforms. This phenomenon has led to the formation of a “virtual caliphate,” where extremists can propagate their support for terrorist groups.
The ISD report points out that while the platforms themselves are harmless, terrorists and extremists have exploited their features for recruitment and radicalization. There is a readily available source of extremist material on social media and various online platforms, making it easily accessible to vulnerable individuals.
The report cites cases of three youths who were detained in the past year and had been acquainted through the same extremist social media channel. One of them, a 16-year-old student, joined Islamic State-themed servers on the gaming platform Roblox, where he connected with other pro-IS gamers. He used Roblox game footage to create and upload three propaganda videos on social media to express his support for the extremist group.
Another Singaporean student, aged 15, was arrested for terrorism-related activities in November 2022, making him the youngest person to be dealt with under the Internal Security Act. He became self-radicalized after listening to podcasts by foreign segregationist preacher Ismail Menk and considered conducting attacks in Singapore.
In all recent ISA cases, the self-radicalized individuals had spent significant amounts of time consuming sermons by radical preachers online, as noted by ISD in its report. Social media not only spreads terrorist propaganda but also provides easy access to sermons that promote intolerant views, serving as a precursor to radicalization.
Since 2015, a total of 11 self-radicalized Singaporeans aged 20 and below have been dealt with under the ISA. Among them, five had planned to carry out attacks in Singapore using easily accessible weapons.
The ISD report also highlighted the threat posed by Islamic State or ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and affiliated groups, particularly in conflict zones like Iraq and Syria. These groups continue to rebuild themselves through a long-term strategy, with a new generation of leaders aiming to expand their reach and carry out attacks in non-conflict zones. Southeast Asian ISIS supporters in the “virtual caliphate” have incited violence and featured Singapore in ISIS propaganda.
As for the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the group has been lying low since 2019, but it still seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. The ISD report mentions JI’s efforts to infiltrate Indonesian political parties and exploit the democratic process, which may intensify leading up to the Indonesian General Elections in 2024.
In light of ongoing geopolitical conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Middle East, the ISD also warns of the possibility of state actors and their proxies adopting terrorist methods against their adversaries in third countries. Singapore faces the risk of being caught in the crossfire.
